The Lost Bride
by Dan man
Summary: Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles. You guessed it! The Princess Bride goes Lost! CC
1. Chapter 1

**THE LOST BRIDE**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lost (though if I did, Charlie would still be alive) or the Princess Bride.**

After Kate's trial, she spent most of her time at home typing something at the computer. Now and again, she'd shed a few tears, because it brought back so many memories. For what she typed concerned several peoples she was once best friends with.

"Mommy?"

Kate turned around and saw Aaron standing there. She had started to get used to being called mommy, despite the fact that she wasn't't really Aaron's mother. She never told it to Aaron. Nor did she tell Aaron about his real mother or father (especially since she knew nothing about Aaron's real father) or the man who could've been Aaron's father.

"Hi, sweetie," she said to him.

"Am I bothering you?"

"No. Mommy's just writing something just for the he…heck of it. You know what? It's a story about some people who thought you were very special."

Although his face remained blank, she could tell he was interested.

"Would you read it to me?"

"Sure."

And with that, she lifted Aaron and placed him on her lap as she begun reading.

"The Princess Bride."

'_Claire was raised on a small farm on an enchanted island. Her favorite pastimes were riding her horse and tormenting the farm boy who worked there. His name was Charlie, but she never called him that. _

_Nothing gave Claire more pleasure than ordering Charlie around. She would come up to him and say: "Farm boy! Polish my horse's saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning."_

"_As you wish," was all he ever said to her._

_The next day, she would go to him and say "Farm boy! Fill these with water. Please."_

"_As you wish."_

_That day, she was amazed to discover that when he was saying 'as you wish', he was really saying 'I love you.' It was even more amazing the day she realized she truly loved him back._

"Mommy!"

"What?" Kate asked incredulously. "You don't like it?"

"This isn't a kissing story, is it?"

"Oh, now. Just you wait. It's gonna get real good."

She went back to reading it. "Now…"

'_Charlie had no money for marriage, so he packed his few belongings to leave to find his fortune. It was an emotional day for Claire._

"_Charlie," Claire spoke between sobs as she embraced him, afraid to let him go, "I might never see you again."_

"_Don't worry," he whispered. "You will."_

"_What if something happens to you?"_

_Charlie pulled away and looked her in the eye. "Hear me. I will always come for you."_

_She shook her head. She didn't't believe him. "How can you be sure?"_

_He gave her a reassuring smile. "Hey. True love. How often does this happen?"_

_Despite the tears in her eyes, she managed to smile back. And with that, Charlie went to his boat. Claire didn't't move from that spot and her eyes stayed on him until he was no where in sight._

_But Charlie never reached his destination. His ship was attacked by the Dread Pirate Sayid, who never left captives alive. When Claire got the news that Charlie was murdered, she went in her room and shut the door. For five days, neither eating or sleeping._

"_I shall never love again," she swore._


	2. Chapter 2

_Five years later, the main square of the largest city on the island was filled as never before, as everyone gather to hear the announcement of the great Prince Locke's bride-to-be._

_As the trumpets blared, he emerged from his balcony alongside the king and queen (didn't decide who they'd be so just put anyone there) and his right hand man, Count Cooper. His hand raised brought silence._

_"My people! A month from now, our country will have it's five hundredth anniversary. On that sundown, I shall marry a lady who was once a commoner like yourselves. However, I do not think you will find her to be common now. Would you like to meet her?"_

_The crowd's answer was a great cheer. The prince smiled as he held his hand again, silencing the square, then directed it towards an archway where a red carpet was placed before._

_"My people…the princess…Claire!"_

_The people turned towards the archway to see the young woman emerge from inside. The trumpets played another fanfare as the entire crowd held it's breath. A young woman in a gorgeous white gown exited the archway and descended the stairway, as everyone before her, without even an order, kneeled._

_Claire's emptiness consumed her. Although the law of the land gave the prince the right to choose his bride, she did not love him._

_Despite Locke's reassurance that she would grow to love him, the only joy she found was in her daily ride._

_As she was miles away from the city, close to the canal she stopped as three men stood before her. The smallest man had dark brown hair and wide open blue eyes. Next to him was a taller, scruffier man with long blonde hair and a sulking look on his face. While one hand was just hanging, the other was placed on his sheathed sword. The third was larger than the other two, dark skinned, and had a look that was just crossed. He carried a wooden staff._

_It was the smaller man who spoke politely. "A word, my lady. We are but poor, lost circus performers. Tell us, is there a village nearby?"_

_Claire shook her head. "I'm sorry. But there's nothing nearby for miles."_

_The small man only smiled, which frightened Claire. "Good. Then no one will hear you scream."_

_He nodded at the dark man, who advanced towards the frightened girl. He reached for her neck, and she barely had time to scream as he simply touched a nerve and rendered her unconscious._

_The large dark man, whose name was Eko, carried Claire to their boat, while the scruffy man, who went by Sawyer, leaned against the railing, smoking a cigarette and watching their boss, Ben, tying a red cloth to the horse's reins._

_"Whatcha got there, Dracula?" he asked with a Southern accent._

_Ben scoffed at Sawyer's annoying affinity for nicknames before answering. "This is fabric from an DHARMA officer."_

_"And who the hell is DHARMA?"_

_"The institution that the island opposes," Ben explained before slapping the horse, forcing it to go. "Let's get moving now. When the horse gets back to the castle, the fabric will convince the prince that DHARMA has taken his bride. And when he finds her body on their land, his suspicions will be confirmed."_

_Sawyer simply shook his head as Ben boarded. "Kidnap and kill a girl so we can get these suckers to start a war with these DHARMA people. Oh yeah. That's a brilliant plan."_

_Eko was looking at Ben with fury. "You said nothing about killing."_

_Ben wasn't phased in the least. "I hired you two to help me start a war. It's a prestigious line of work with a long and glorious tradition."_

_Eko was only madder. "I did not agree to killing an innocent."_

_Ben was now the one enraged. "I hired you for your Strength, not your morality."_

_"I hate to say it," Sawyer spoke up, "but I agree with Hulk here."_

_Ben turned to face him, a look of amusement on his face._

_"So, the low-life has grown a CON scious? Neither of you need to worry about what happens to her, because I am going to kill her. And do not forget Sawyer. When I found you, you were nothing but a despicable drunk. You couldn't even buy brandy."_

_Then he looked at Eko. "And you…do you want me to send you back to where you were? Unemployed in Nigeria?"_

_As Ben stormed off to the ship's rear, Sawyer looked over at Eko and smiled._

_"Ben…sure can…fuss."_

_Eko smiled back before replying. "Perhaps he likes to scream at…us."_

_Sawyer's smile grew wider. "Well…I'm sure he means no…harm."_

_"Very…very short on…charm."_

_"Jeez. Ya sure good with rhymes."_

_"Sometimes."_

_Ben was starting to get annoyed. "Stop it. Let's get going."_

_And with that, they set sail._

_"Hey, Eko!" Sawyer called out. "Any rocks ahead?"_

_"If there are, we'll be dead."_

_"Enough rhymes!" Ben shouted. "I mean it!"_

_Sawyer smiled as he made a rhyme of his own. "Hey Ben, wanna peanut?"_

_"AARRRGH!"_

**A/N: Okay, so Eko won't be as goofy as Fezzik was, but I needed someone really strong for the part. Maybe I'll throw in a joke or two for him but that's about it.**

**Anyway, hope youenjoyed this. Keep reviewing, and I'll keep uploading**


	3. Chapter 3

_Night finally came and they were miles away from the island._

_Ben smiled as he sat down. "We shall reach the cliffs by morning."_

_Sawyer sat at the ship's rear, staring out to see._

"_Why do you keep doing that?" Ben asked him._

"_Sure we're not being followed?"_

_Ben scowled. "That would be inconceivable."_

_Claire, who was already awake at the time, glared at him. "That's what you think. Locke will find you, and you will all be hanged."_

_Ben grinned evilly at her. "Of all the necks here, I'd worry about your own."_

_Claire remained silent. Sawyer kept looking out to see._

"_Sawyer!" Ben shouted. "You can relax. It's almost over."_

"_Sure no one's following us?"_

"_Look. That would be completely, absolutely , and in all other ways INCONCEIVABLE! No one in DHARMA knows what we're doing, and the people on the island couldn't have caught up with us already. We don't have to worry about a thing."_

_He laid his head back against a crate, almost relaxed. But then he looked back at Sawyer._

"_Out of curiosity, why do you ask?"_

"_Well…somebody happens to be behind us."_

"_What?"_

_He and Eko got up and ran towards where Sawyer was sitting and there it was. A small sailboat, looking smaller than it should due to the distance, moving in the same direction they were._

_Ben just shook his head. "Perhaps it's just a…local fisherman on a pleasure cruise at night…"  
Sawyer glared at him. "Through shark-infested waters?"_

_SPLASH!_

_They turned to see that Claire had jumped overboard and was swimming away from them._

"_Wha-GO IN! GET AFTER HER!" Ben shouted._

"_Me!" Sawyer shouted "I don't swim! He's too heavy to swim!"_

_After growling in irritation, Ben shouted again. "VEER LEFT!"_

_The ship turned in the direction Claire was swimming, when she stopped as a horrible sound echoed across the sea._

"_Do you know what that sound is, highness?" Ben called out to her. "Those are the howling sharks! If you don't believe me, just wait. They always grow louder when they're about to feed on human flesh!"_

_Claire suddenly screamed as the sound grew louder and a shark fin shot past her, and was swimming away from her._

"_Swim back now!" Ben shouted. "I promise that no harm will come to you. I doubt the sharks will offer you a better deal!"_

_To Claire's horror, the fin turned and advanced toward her. She was to terrified to move, too scared to scream at the jaws that emerged from the water, about to feed on her._

"MOMMY!"

"It's okay, Aaron," Kate reassured him. "The shark's not gonna get her. The shark won't eat her."

Aaron kept staring at the screen in wide eye, breathing hard. "It was scary."

Kate sighed. Maybe she shouldn't have be reading this to him

"Well, we can stop now if you'd like," she said as she lifted him off her lap.

"No, I'm fine," Aaron said. "Please keep reading."

Kate smiled. "Okay."

She placed him back on her lap and continued. "'Do you know what that sound is, highness? Those are the howling sharks..'"

"Mommy, you already read that."

"Oh? OH! Right. Sorry. Okay, she was in the water, the shark was coming after her, she was frightened, the shark started to charge her, and then…"

_SLAM!_

_Claire looked up to see that Eko had slammed his staff against it and chased it away. Then he pulled her out of the water and back onto the ship. Ben immediately rushed to her and bound her hands together._

_Sawyer looked to see that boat was getting bigger._

"_Looks like he's been getting closer while we were fishin'."_

_Ben just shook his head. "He is not our concern!"_

_Then he glared at Claire. "I suppose you think you're brave."_

"_Only compared to some," she shot back at him._

_The next morning, Eko walked over to Sawyer, who was gathering rope while cotinuing to stare at the small boat, which was getting closer._

_"He's right on top of us," Eko observed._

_"Oh, I'm sure he aint followin' us," Sawyer said sarcastically. "Probably just usin' the same wind we're usin'."_

_"Oh he's following us," Ben spoke up. "But it doesn't matter. He's already too late."_

_He was looking ahead. At large cliffs at the edge of another island._

_"The Cliffs of Insanity."_

**AN: You're probably wondering, why sharks? why didn't you go with eels? watch Season 2, episode 2.**


	4. Chapter 4

_They pulled their ship over to a rock where a rope was dangling from the top of a large cliff. They wasted no time to pull out a few supplies and wrap a harness with three holsters attached to it to Eko before pushing the ship away. Sawyer and Ben slipped Claire through one of the holsters and wrapped her bound hands around his neck. Then they each slipped themselves through a holster and held on to Eko as he begun climbing._

_"We're safe," Ben breathed. "Only Eko is strong enough. Our friend will have to sail for hours till he finds a harbor."_

_Eko kept climbing, the ground was getting further and further away. He didn't stop for air for one minute. Claire and Sawyer looked down to see the other boat also pulled onto the rock and a man clad in black clothes and a black mask jumped off and immediately climbed the rope, at a fast pace._

_"Son of a bitch!" Sawyer muttered._

_"What now?" Ben snapped impatiently._

_"He's climbin'! He's gainin' on us!"_

_"Inconceivable! FASTER!"_

_"I AM going faster," Eko shot back._

_"You were supposed to have the strength of an ox!" Ben snarled through gritted teeth. "And he gains."_

_"I'm gaining three people. He only has to gain himself."_

_"I'm not going to accept excuses, I'll just have to get someone else."_

_"Will ya all shut up!" Sawyer snapped._

_Ben shot a look at Sawyer, then at the man catching up to them, then back at Eko. "You're job's at stake. You know that."_

_After a while, they finally made it to the top. Ben quickly pulled himself out before pulling Claire out then heading to the rock the rope was tied to. Sawyer got himself out and helped Eko up as Ben started cutting the rope. It finally snapped and fell off the cliff. Ben breathed a breath of relief, believing that the man in black fell with the rope._

_His thoughts were interrupted by a deep whistle made by Sawyer. He looked to see him and Eko looking over the edge of the cliff._

_"He has good arms," Eko observed._

_Ben didn't want to believe it. He rushed over and to his disbelief, sure enough, the man in black was holding onto the rocks for dear life._

_"HE DIDN'T FALL! INCONCEIVABLE!"_

_"Ya know, I'm getting really sick of hearing you say that," Sawyer grumbled. "Son of a bitch, now he's climbing the rocks! How desperate is this guy?"_

_"Obviously," Ben seethed, "whoever he is, he must've seen the princess. We'll have to kill him. Eko, carry her. Sawyer, stay here. Meet us at the DHARMA frontier when he's dead. If he falls, okay. If not, the sword."_

_"Fine. But I think I'll take him left-handed."_

_"We're in a hurry here!"_

_"Hey, only way I'll be satisfied. Use my right, too soon. Not much fun."_

_Ben groaned before dragging Claire off. "Have it your way."_

_Eko placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Be careful. Masked men cannot be trusted."_

_He then walked off and joined Ben and the three of them were gone. Sawyer paced around a bit before deciding to check on the man in black._

_"Howdy! Slow goin'?"_

_The man in black looked up at him. "Listen, sorry if I sound rude. I know this may look bloody simple, but it's not. Please don't bother me!"_

_Sawyer just shrugged. "Sorry, partner."_

_"Thank you."_

_Sawyer just paced around again. Finally he got too bored and looked over the edge of the cliff again._

_"Could ya hurry up, please?"_

_The man in black groaned before looking back up at him. "Look, if you're in a rush, could you lower a rope or a tree branch or something useful?"_

_"Hmmmmmmm. I've got some rope. But you see, I'm here to kill ya, so I don't think you'd accept my help."_

_The man in black smiled at him. "Well, that puts a damper on our relationship."_

_Sawyer smiled back. "But I'll tell ya what. I won't kill you until after ya make it up."_

_"That's very nice of you. But I'm afraid you're gonna have to wait."_

_"Well I don't like to wait, so what if I give ya my word as a Southerner?"_

_"Nope. I'm not really fond of Southerners."_

_Sawyer sighed in exasperation. "Any way ya trust me?"_

_"None that I can think of?"_

_Sawyer took a deep breath then spoke softly. "I swear, by the soul of my mother Mary Ford, you'll reach the top alive."_

_A brief moment of silence then…_

_"Throw me the rope."_

_Sawyer went over and got what was left of the rope and threw it over to the man in black, who grabbed it, and Sawyer hauled him up._

_"Thank you," the man in black said as he got on his feet_

_He quickly took his sword out, but Sawyer held his hands up._

_"Wait! Take a breather first."_

_The man in blacklooked at him strangely then sheathed his sword. "Thanks again."_

_They both sat down, not taking their eyes off each other. After a moment of silence._

_"So," the Sawyer said. "Got a name?"_

_"I go by many names," the man in blackreplied. "How many names do you use?"_

_Sawyer sighed before replying. "Two. But I usually go by Sawyer."_

_"'Sawyer'? Where'd you get that name?"_

_Sawyer was quiet for a moment before bringing up another asking. "Ever been to Jasper, Alabama?"_

_The man in black shook his head. "Nope. Why?"_

_Sawyer was quiet again before answering. "Sawyer was HIS name. A confidence man. His best gig was sleepin' with a woman, then pretend he was late for a meeting and pretend to accidentally knock over a suitcase full of money. That would make her want to get her rich husband to invest his money in a large, but fake, business deal._

_"One of his victims was my mom. When my dad found out that he was conned, he immediately killed my mom. Then he killed himself."_

_"How old were you?" the man in blackasked._

_"Eight. And since then, I dedicated my life to swordplay and fencing. So when I find him, I will say to him 'Sawyer, I am James Ford. You killed my parents. Prepare to die.'"_

_Another moment's silence._

_"You've learned nothing but how to fight?" the man in black asked._

_"These days, I learn to survive and how to search. Can't find him. Twenty years, and I'm starting to give up. I onlywork for Ben to pay the bills. Revenge aint a payin' job."_

_The man in black nodded. "Well, I hope you find him someday."_

_"Thanks. So, are ya ready?"_

_They both got up and drew their swords._

_"Yes, indeed. And I'm very grateful for your company."_

_Sawyer smiled. "You're a nice guy. Sorry I have to kill ya."_

_The man in black smiled back. "You're a nice guy. Sorry I have to die."_

_Sawyer narrowed his eyes and his friendly look vanished. "Begin."_


	5. Chapter 5

_The two began to circle one another, too far to do any damage. Their blades would touch, Sawyer would feint, the man in black would counter, the two circle again. Their blades would touch again, the man in black would feint, Sawyer would counter, the two circle again._

_Finally, they started clashing blades against the other, neither losing balance or coming close to stumbling. Now and then, one would gain the upper hand then would lose it to the other._

_Sawyer was deeply impressed by the man in black's gracefulness and skill. He had obviously studied every technique he himself had mastered. But he started to worry as he realized he was being pushed closer to the edge of the cliff._

_He smiled as he realized it was time for the tide to turn._

_"Not bad," he complimented the man in black._

_"Thank you. I've worked really hard at it."_

_"Gotta admit. You're even better than I am."_

_The man in black then looked at him in confusion. "So why are you smiling?"_

_They then pushed their swords against one another, and Sawyer was almost an inch from death when…_

_"'Cause I aint left-handed."_

_He pushed the man in black back and tossed his sword to his right hand. Now Sawyer had the advantage and was forcing him up a rocky staircase which lead to a turret-shaped plateau._

_"Impressive," the man in black complimented Sawyer._

_"Twenty years, I should think so."_

_Suddenly, Sawyer had him pushed against an old stone railing, which began to crumble from his weight._

_"Now I have something to tell you," said the man in black._

_"And what might that be?"_

_"I'm not left-handed either."_

_The man in black pushed him away then threw his sword to his right hand, and to Sawyer's amazement, he was being forced back downstairs._

_On and on they clashed, parried, blocked, dodged, and feint. But Sawyer was growing weary. He had tried every technique, maneuver, and style he knew and it wasn't enough. After realizing how short of breath he was he shouted in rage while swinging his sword like a madman. The Man in black simply swung his sword at his, knocking it out of his hand._

_Sawyer was now defenseless, breathing really hard, and had fallen to his knees. He was beaten. And the man in black's sword was pointing at his throat._

_"Go on," Sawyer growled. "Kill me."_

_The man in black sheathed his sword and walked behind him._

_"I'd rather smash a stained glass window than such a talented artist. However, I can't have you follow me either. So…"_

_Sawyer looked behind him and the next thing he knew, the man in black slammed a rock against his face, knocking him out._

_"Sorry," the man in black said to him, even though he was unconscious. "But I truly respect you."_

_And with that, he took off to where Claire was taken._

* * *

"INCONCEIVABLE!"

_Ben snatched Claire out of Eko's grasp and rushed off._

_"Catch up with us as soon as you can!" he yelled at the large man._

_"What do you expect me to do?" Eko asked._

_"Finish him! Hide behind the boulder, pick up one of the rocks, and wait for the man in black, then aim the rock at his head."_

_Eko sighed as he walked towards the boulder._

_"Not very sportsmanlike."_

* * *

Just as the man in black came to the rocky area, he tread cautiously expecting a trap or an ambush, when…

_SMASH!_

_A rock flew past him, barely missing him, hitting a nearby boulder and shattering instead. Whipping out his sword, he looked in the direction the rock came from to see Eko coming out from behind the boulder._

_"I missed. On purpose."_

_The man in black nodded. "I believe you. So now what?"_

_"We fight as I hoped we would. Sportsmanlike. No weapons, no tricks, just skill alone."_

_The man in black looked at him curiously._

_"Meaning I put down my sword, you put that rock and that staff away, and we'll try to kill each other like gentlemen?"_

_Eko smiled as he held the rock up. "I could kill you now, if you wish."_

_The man in black shrugged as he set his sword down. "Frankly, I'd say the odds are slightly in your favor and hand-to-hand combat."_

_Eko tossed the rock and his staff aside. "God is what made me so big and strong. I never exercised."_

_Seeing as how the man was twice his size, the man in black knew Eko would be as much of a challenge as Sawyer was. _

_He lunged at him, attempting to push him back. Eko just held his ground, not throwing a single punch, but he didn't budge. The man in black pulled back, took a deep breath, then tried something else. He grabbed the large man by the waist, as if he was trying to lift him. Eko only grinned at his failed attempts._

_The man in black pulled back and glared at him._

_"You're just toying with me."_

_"No. I just want you to feel you are doing well. I would rather not have you die embarrassed."  
And with that, he swung his fist at him, but the man in black ducked and slipped between Eko's legs._

_The large Nigerian man turned and moved towards the man in black, impressed._

_"You are fast."_

_"Good thing, too," he said as he backed away._

_"Why do you wear a mask? Did you burn your face?"_

_"Oh no. No reason. I just like it."  
Eko swung at him again and the man in black slipped away. As Eko searched for him, the man in black climbed a nearby boulder then jumped for his back. His arms grabbed hold of the Nigerian's throat, locked across his windpipe, and holding on tight._

_Eko struggled to break free. "I think I know why you are giving me so much trouble."_

_"Oh yeah?" the man in black asked as held on. "Why?"_

_"I never fought…one person…before. I mostly specialize in groups. Fighting gangs."_

_"So?"_

_"So…you use…different moves…when you are…fighting…half a dozen people…than when you only…have to be worried…about…one…"_

_Eko suddenly ran out of air and collapsed. The man in black turned him over to face upwards, and placed an ear to his chest. To his relief, there was a heartbeat._

_He looked at Eko and smiled. "I don't envy the headache you'll have when you wake up. But in the meantime, sleep well…and dream of pretty black women."_

_And with that, the man in black grabbed his sword and dashed off. _

* * *

_Prince Locke observed the footprints on the ground where Sawyer and the man in black fought._

_"A duel. It ranged all over. They were both masters."_

_He looked over to where Count Cooper and several soldiers mounted their horses._

_"What was the outcome?" Cooper asked. "Who won? How did it end."_

_Locke observed the tracks again. "Can't tell who lost, but whoever did ran off alone. Whoever won…followed those footprints…towards DHARMA."_

_"Shall we track them both?" Cooper suggested._

_"No. The loser is of no importance. All that matters is returning the Princess back to the island."_

_And with that he mounted his horse. "Apparently, this was all planned by warriors of DHARMA. Be ready for whatever's out there."_

_"It could be a trap."_

_"I always think everything could be a trap. Which is why I'm still alive."_


	6. Chapter 6

_The man in black followed the trail up a hill and found Ben sitting by a rock holding a knife to a blindfolded Claire's throat. On the rock, was a picnic, complete with two goblets and a bottle of wine._

_"So," Ben spoke courtly, "it now comes down between you...and me."_

_The man in black advanced toward him until he saw Ben slightly pierce Claire's neck._

_"Keep coming, if it's her death you wish."_

_The man in black took a deep breath before walking slowly towards them as he spoke. "Let me explain."_

_"There's nothing to explain. You've come to take what I have rightfully stolen."_

_"Perhaps there can be...an arrangement?"_

_But he stopped in his tracks as Ben grabbed Claire's arm and pushed the knife further._

_"No arrangement! And you're killing her!"_

_The man in black knew he had to plan this carefully if he wanted her out of this alive._

_"Well, if there can be no arrangement...then we are at an impass."_

_"Indeed we are. You see, in terms of physical combat, I cannot compete with you. And when it comes to challenges of intelligence, you are no match for me."_

_The man in black tried to be impressed. "You're that smart?"_

_"Let me put it this way, you are familiar with Albert Einstein? Charles Darwin? Sir Issac Newton?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Compared to me...all idiots."_

_"Really?" the man in black asked, as though he was impressed. At last he had an idea. "Then I challenge you...to a battle of wits."_

_"For the princess?"'_

_The man in black nodded._

_"To the death?"_

_The man in black nodded again._

_Ben smiled and put his knife away. "Very well, then. What is your challenge?"_

_Knowing that Claire was safe, the man in black walked over to him, keeping a calm expression. "First pour the wine."  
Ben obliged and filled both goblets as the man in black sat across from him, pulling out a small vial of some kind of powder. He removed the lid and held it up to Ben._

_"Inhale, but don't touch."_

_Ben took it and took a small whiff._

_"I smell nothing," he said as he handed it back to the man in black._

_"What you don't smell is iocane powder. Odorless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in liquid, and is among the world's deadliest poison."_

_Ben raised his eyebrows, as he understood where this was going. "I see."_

_The man in black took both goblets and turned his back on Ben so he wouldn't see what he was doing. Finally, he placed both goblets back on the rock, one in front of each person._

_"Now where is the poison?" the man in black asked. "The battle of wits begins. It ends when you decide and we both drink. The winner takes the princess away...and the loser dies."_

_Ben smiled and chuckled. "So simple. All I must do is calculate what I know about you. Are you the sort of person who'd poison his own drink or his enemy's? Now, somoeone as clever as you seem to be, would hide the poison in his own cup, because he'd know that a complete idiot would reach for what he was given. Since I'm not a complete idiot, I can clearly not drink from your goblet. However, I already made it perfectly clear to you that I'm not a complete idiot. Therefore, I can clearly not drink from my cup."_

_"So...you've decided then?"_

_"Oh no. Iocane, you see, originated from Australia, as everyone knows. And Australia is infested with criminals, and criminals are not used to being trusted, just as you are not trusted by me. Therefore, I can clearly not drink your wine."_

_"Quite the intellect you have," the man in black mused._

_"Wait till I finish!" Ben snapped. "Now...where was I?"_

_"Australia."_

_"Ah yes! Australia. But you must have suspected that I knew the powder's history. So I can clearly not drink my wine."_

_The man in black simply shook his head. "You're just stalling."_

_"That's what you think! By defeating Eko, you have proven how strong you are. Perhaps you poisoned your wine hoping that your strength would save you, so I can clearly not drink from your glass. But by defeating Sawyer, you have proven how much you have studied. And in studying, you've learned how fragile a human being is. So you would've kept the poison as far away from you as possible. So I can clearly not drink from my glass."_

_"You're trying to trick me into giving away the answer," the man in black said calmly. "Well it won't work."_

_"Oh no. It's already worked! You've given the answer away when you started this! I know where the poison is!"  
"Then choose!"_

_"Very well! I choose...WHAT IS THAT?!"_

_"WHAT?" the man in black asked as he looked behind him, while Ben quickly grabbed the goblets and switched them._

_The man in black looked back at him, looking confused. "I didn't see anything."_

_"Oh?" Ben could not help but grin. "That's strange. I could've sworn I saw something. No matter."_

_The man in black noticed Ben's grin and narrowed his eyes in suspiscion. "Something funny?"_

_Ben quickly forced away his smile. "Um...yes, but...I'll tell you later. For now, let's drink. Me from my glass, you from yours."_

_And with that, both men picked up their respected goblets. Ben held his glass up, waiting for the man in black to drink his, which he did. Once he was convinced that the man in black thought his was safe, he drunk out of the one he knew had to be safe. Finally, they placed their respected goblets down._

_"Guessed wrong," the man in black announced._

_Ben started laughing evilly. "No! You think I guessed wrong! That's what's funny! I SWITCHED GLASSES WHEN YOUR BACK WAS TURNED! YOU IDIOT!"_

_"You sneaky bastard!"_

_"Yes! You fell victim to one of the world's most classic blunders. The most famous is never get involved in a landwar in Asia, but only slightly less known is this: DON'T MATCH WITS WITH A GENIUS...WHEN YOUR LIFE IS AT STAKE!"_

_And Ben kept laughing until he was completely silent and fell back dead._

_The man in black smiled in satisfaction as he got up and removed Claire's blindfold. She looked at him in suspiscion and fear as he undid her bindings._

_"Who are you?" she asked._

_"No one to be trifled with. That's all you need to know."_

_Claire looked over at Ben's dead body and pondered what just happened, as she did not see what had transpired but heard._

_"So, all this time it was your own drink you poisoned."_

_"No. They were both poisoned. I spent the past few years working on an immunity to iocane powder."_

_And with that, he pulled Claire to her feet and lead her away._

_

* * *

_

_Meanwhile, Locke was observing the area where the man in black defeated Eko. Only Eko was no where to be found._

_"Someone large was beaten here."_

_He went back to his horse and mounted it. "There will be great suffering in DHARMA if she dies."_

_And with that, they took off._


	7. Chapter 7

_After several hours of running the man in black and Claire stopped to catch their breath._

_"Let me go," Claire spoke between breaths. "Whatever you ask for ransom, you'll get it. I swear!"_

_The man in black just laughed. "The promise of a woman? How much is that worth? Real witty, highness."_

_Claire scowled. "I was giving you a chance to live. It doesn't matter where you take me. Locke is the greatest hunter ever! If he can spot the smallest fish in a hurricane, he will certainly find you!"_

_The man in black simply glared at her. "So certain your dearest love will rescue you?"_

_"He is NOT my dearest love and yes he will find me!"_

_The man in black remained silent before asking. "You admit you do not love your fiancé?"_

_Claire looked away. She tried so hard to forget, but the pain was just too much._

_"He knows I don't love him."  
"You mean you're not capable of love," the man in black sneered_

_She looked back at him with fire burning in her eyes. Claire's anger at his words were fueled by her pain._

_"I have loved more…than a killer like yourself…COULD EVER DREAM!!"_

_He held up his hand ready to slap her and she looked away. The man in back pulled back his fist and held an index finger._

_"THAT was a warning, highness. Next time my hand flies free. Where I come from, there are punishments to women who lie."_

_And with that, he grabbed her wrist again and dashed off with her._

_

* * *

_

_Meanwhile, Locke was sniffing the substance that killed Ben. As he found no scent, he passed it to Cooper who also sniffed it._

_"It's iocane alright," Cooper said. "No doubt about it."_

_Locke pointed a knife towards the trail ahead. "And there are the princess's footprints. She's alive. Or was an hour ago."_

_As he mounted his horse he sneered. "If she is otherwise when I find her, I shall be VERY displeased."_

_

* * *

_

_They stopped to catch another breather. But when Claire gazed at him, if looks could kill, the man in black would've been dust._

_"I know who you are now! Your cruelty reveals it all! You're the Dread Pirate Sayid! ADMIT IT!"_

_The man in black smiled at her and bowed. "With pride. And what is it you wish of the most feared buccaneer?"_

_"You can die slowly. Cut into a thousand pieces."_

_The Dread Pirate Sayid took a deep breath. "Ooooooh. Hardly complimentary, Your Majesty. Why waste so much venom on me?"_

_"…You killed the man I loved."_

_Sayid remained un phased. "I'm sure I did. I killed thousands of people."_

_He took a seat in front of her. "Tell me about this man you loved. Was he another prince, like this one? Ugly? Rich? Bald?"_

_"No!" Claire snapped as she looked back at him. "Farm boy. Poor…" she thought hard at trying to remember him then spoke softly. "Poor and perfect…with eyes…like the sea after a storm…"_

_Then her rage returned. "On the high seas, your ship attacked. And the Dread Pirate Sayid never takes prisoners."_

_Sayid just shrugged. "Well, I can't make exceptions, your majesty. Word on the street's a pirate's gone soft, people don't take you seriously, and it's nothing but work, work, work, all the time."_

_Claire was furious at him. How dare he treat Charlie's death as a joke._

_"DO NOT MOCK MY PAIN!"_

_"LIFE IS PAIN, HIGHNESS!" Sayid shouted. "And anyone who says differently is a bloody scam."_

_Sayid stood up and turned his back on her. Claire just looked at the ground, hurt and angry._

_Sayid finally spoke up. "I think I remember your farm boy. Five years ago wasn't it? Ah yes! Now I remember!"_

_He looked back at her. "Will it be too painful to hear?"_

_She didn't look back at him, but she shook her head._

_Sayid continued. "Well, if makes you happy, he died well. No pitiful bribe attempts or blubbering. He only said 'Please. Please I must live.' The 'please' was what caught my memory. So I said to him 'What do you have worth living for?' His answer was 'True love.'_

_Finally Claire looked back at him, as though she was interested._

_Sayid continued. "Then he spoke of a woman of amazing beauty and undying faithfulness. It seems he was talking about you."_

_His face beneath his mask suddenly became as dark as his tone. "Well…be thankful that I killed him before he saw you for what you really are!"_

_That snapped. "And WHAT am I really?"_

_"Faithfulness. He spoke of your undying 'faithfulness'. So be honest, when you found out he was dead, how long did you wait to get engaged out of respect for the him? A year? A week? A day?"_

_Claire had never been so angry in her life. "How dare you mock me? I DIED THAT DAY!!"_

_This time Sayid seemed prepare to strike her for real when the sound of horses distracted him. And Claire's blood was now boiling now that he lost his attention on her._

_"And you can die too for all I CARE!"_

_And with that she pushed him and he was tumbling down the edge of the large hill._

_"AS…YOU…WISH!"_

_Her heart skipped a beat. He just said…_

_Only one person said that to her…_

_It couldn't have been!_

_"Charlie? Oh my God!"_

_And she tumbled after him until they both reached the bottom and were lying on their respective backs._

_

* * *

_

_Locke pulled his horse back and his men followed._

_"Disappeared. He must've saw us coming, which might be why he panicked."_

_He observed the scenery. "If I'm wrong, which I can never be, they're heading into the Fiery Jungle."_

_And with that, they rode off._

_

* * *

_

_As Claire opened her eyes, there he was, without the mask. The same ruffled blonde hair, the same beautiful eyes, the same kind face._

_"Can you move?" Charlie asked her._

_Tears welled in her eyes as her arms suddenly wrapped around him. Then his were around hers._

_"You're alive! I could fly!"_

_"I said I'd come back. Why didn't you wait for me?"_

_"Because…because you were dead."_

_They pulled away from each other and gazed into each other's eyes._

_"Death can never stop true love," Charlie reassured her. "Just delay it for a bit."_

_Claire smiled but couldn't stop the tears. "I'll never doubt again."_

_"You'll never need to…"_

_And with that, their lips drew nearer…_

* * *

"Oh, no!" Aaron groaned.

"What now?" Kate asked exaggerated.

Aaron looked at her. "Do you really need to read the kissing?"

Kate smiled. "You're not going to mind so much someday."

"Let's just skip to the Fiery Jungle. That sounds neat."

Kate sighed as she scrolled down. "You know what? Since it's getting late, I'll just humor you. So…"

* * *

_Charlie and Claire raced along the ravine. Charlie looked up and grinned at the horses coming closer._

_"Your boar of a fiancé is too late, Claire. Just a few more steps and we'll be safe in the Fiery Jungle."_

_"WHAT?! But we won't survive!"_

_"Don't be silly. Just because no one else ever did…"_

* * *

**AN: hehehehe, but you can't guess what'll happen next! keep reviewing to find out!**


	8. Chapter 8

_Great trees blocked out the sun in the Fiery Jungle, darkening the forest shrouded in mist. Claire gazed about the frightening place in horror. Though Charlie too was frightened, he kept his cool._

_"Nice place."_

_Claire looked at him incredulously. Charlie just shrugged._

_"Not that I'd like to build a retirement home here, but the trees are beautiful."_

_Not saying another word, they kept moving. But they stopped to hear a popping sound coming from somewhere underneath them. As it stopped, they simply shrugged it off as they kept on. Suddenly…_

_WHOOSH!  
A flame shot off from the ground and the hem of Claire's dressed caught fire. Charlie's eyes widen in fear as he pushed her to the ground then grabbed the hem and rubbed it in the dirt, suffocating it. When it finally died, they found themselves breathing hard._

_"Well," Charlie gasped as he helped her up, "that was quite the adventure. Scorch you at all?"_

_Claire smiled as she shook her head. "You?"_

_"Nah!"_

_They kept on as another popping sound came. This time, Charlie held Claire back as another flame spurted from the ground._

_Charlie grinned as he looked at Claire. "This place does keep you on your toes. We should have a ball here."_

_As they reached a path, Charlie whipped out his sword and slashed the vines in the way._

_"Don't worry, Claire. This will just be bad memory. Sayid's ship, the Nadia, is waiting for her captain on the other side. Sayid. Me."_

_"I don't understand how though. He's been raiding the seas for twenty years. You only left me five years ago. "_

_Charlie continued slashing as he spoke. "You'd be amazed at how life surprises you."_

_There was suddenly another popping sound and Charlie pulled Claire out of harm's way. Then they continued on._

_"Remember what I said about saying 'please'? That was true. Sayid was intrigued by it, and smitten by my description of you. So he made a decision and said 'Very well, Charlie. I never had a man servant before. You can try it tonight. You'll most likely die tomorrow.' He said that for three years. 'Good night, Charlie. Good work. Sleep well. You'll most likely die tomorrow.' Fine time for me. I was learning to fence, fight, and just about anything anyone would teach me, including how to drink poison without dying. And Sayid and I finally became good friends. Then, one day…"_

_He stopped in mid-sentence, as though trying to find the right words._

_"What?" Claire asked. "Please, tell me."_

_Finally, Charlie spoke. "Sayid grew so rich, he wanted to retire. So he took me to his cabin and told me his secret…He said…'I'm not the Dreaded Pirate Sayid. My name is Desmond. I inherited the ship from the previous Dread Pirate Sayid, just as you will inherit it from me.' The man he inherited from wasn't the real Dread Pirate Sayid either. His name was Jin. Turns out, the real Sayid retired fifteen years ago and has been living like a king in Iraq. Then he told me that the name was what was important for inspiring fear. After all, who'd surrender to the Dread Pirate Charlie? So we sailed ashore, took on an entirely different crew, and he stayed aboard for as first mate, all the time calling me Sayid. Once he was convinced that the crew believed, he left and I have been Sayid ever since. But, now that we're together, I'll retire and give the name to another. Makes sense?"_

_Before Claire could reply, she vanished underneath white sand. Charlie quickly snatched a nearby vine, cut it loose, and after taking a deep breath, while holding on to the vine, he dived into the sand. Underneath, unable to see, he frantically waved his hand about searching for any trace of Claire. He finally got a hold of a silk dress and pulled her over. After feeling a pair of arms wrapped around his neck he climbed up the vine and then…the two of them gasped for air as they exploded out of the sand. Both of them were now laying on the ground breathing and coughing, both shook-up by the near death-experienced._

_Claire finally burst into tears of dread. Charlie embraced her, hoping he would be able to calm her. Just as frightened as she was, he could do nothing but hold her tight, as though letting go would be the end of the world._

_His thoughts were interrupted by strange sound. A sound of hissing and clicking. Charlie's eyes darted back and forth looking for the source of the terrifying sound echoing around them._

_Claire's sobs drowned out the sound. "We're not going to make it. We might as well just die now."_

_Charlie pulled away, shaking his head. "No, Claire. We have made it."_

_Charlie stood up and helped Claire to her feet. After grabbing his sword from the ground, they moved on._

_"C'mon. What are the three main horrors of the Fiery Jungle? Flame Spurt. Pffft! Piece of cake! Popping sound before each one. The White Sand. You were clever enough to discover it on your own. So next time, we'll be more careful and we'll be able to avoid it."_

_"But Charlie! What about the U.S.M.?"_

_"The 'Un-named Smoke Monster?'" Charlie asked incredulously before shrugging. "Probably doesn't even exist."_

_A sudden CRASH! was then heard! Claire and Charlie looked behind them to see several trees being torn from the ground and thrown aside, as a cloud of black smoke moved in their direction._

_"CLAIRE, RUN!! DON'T LOOK BACK!!"_

_Without another thought they ran for their lives, with a bone-chilling howling sound behind them._

**AN: BUM BUM BUUUUUUUUUUM! What do you think?**

**How's true love gonna survive this one? R&R to find out.**

**And let this serve as a lesson: Don't say something doesn't exist, it'll prove you wrong.**


	9. Chapter 9

_Although they could hear it coming for them, they realized they were pretty far from it when they came to a dead tree, with a hole large enough to fit a person._

_"Claire! Hide in there!"_

_Without another word, he gently pushed Claire inside. The howling and the clicking started to become louder._

_"I'll hold it off. Stay in there! Don't come out until I've come back."_

_"No, Charlie!" Claire sobbed. "You won't come back! I won't lose you again!"_

_"Claire! I will always come for you. Just please, wait for me this time."_

_Claire sobbed harder, but she realized how she doubted Charlie would come back for her, and was proven wrong. Though not likely, maybe he will return to her after this too._

_It took a moment, but she sadly nodded. They held each other's hands as they looked into each other's eyes._

_"No matter what happens," Charlie whispered, "wait for me."_

_And with that, he pulled away from her and saw the monster coming closer._

_"HEY! HEY YOU! OVER HERE!"_

_Once he got the impression that he got its attention, he took off with it behind him. He didn't have to look back to know it was after him. The howling and the trees getting smashed behind him was enough._

_It seemed like he ran forever when he suddenly tripped on a root, and hit the ground face first. He turned over to see the great black smoke looming over him, a threatening growling sound coming from it._

_Here he was, lying helpless, nothing he learned from Sayid's crew was a match for this demon. He was going to die. He was going to break his promise to Claire. He was going to leave her alone again._

_That's when he heard a familiar popping noise. He suddenly saw his salvation and leapt to it. Just as the smoke reached for him…_

_WHOOSH!!_

_A flame spurted from the ground, hitting the smoke. A terrible, high pitched shriek erupted and the smoke fled, it's howl faded away._

_"Charlie? CHARLIE!"_

_He had been gone for almost an hour. It was all silent. Claire feared the worst._

_Her sobs grew._

_"CHARLIE!!"_

_"CLAIRE?!"_

_He suddenly emerged from the darkness and was limping over to her. His leg was injured and he used his sword as a cane. Claire cried harder as she ran out of the tree she hid in and hugged him. Charlie hugged her back. He was so relieved to see she was okay after all he went through. As he looked up, a smile grew on his face._

_"Claire, look!"_

_She turned around. Sure enough there was a clearing before them. And without running into another flame spurt, quicksand, or any black smoke, they left the jungle._

_"We did," Claire breathed._

_"Now, was that so terrible?" Charlie teased._

_Claire giggled softly as she drew closer to him. But they were interrupted by the sound of horses. Prince Locke and his men were suddenly before him._

_"Surrender!" Locke demanded._

_"You wish to surrender to us?" Charlie mocked. "Very well. I accept."_

_Locke grinned, but it was almost a sneer. "You're brave. I'll give you that much. Don't make yourself a fool."_

_"Ah, but how will you catch us? We have unraveled the mysteries of the Fiery Jungle. We can live there safe and happy and you're free to come visit if you feel like dying."_

_Claire looked about and saw several men with crossbows emerging from the trees, aiming at Charlie._

_"I'll ask you again," Locke demanded. "Surrender!"_

_"Not going to happen!" Charlie growled._

_"For the last time! SURRENDER!"_

_"OVER MY DEAD BODY!"_

_"I'LL HAVE THAT ARRANGED!"  
"PROMISE ME YOU WON'T HURT HIM!" Claire shrieked._

_"What?" Locke and Charlie asked in simultaneously._

_"I'll go with you," Claire spoke to Locke, "if you promise me you will not hurt him."_

_Locke looked at his men with the crossbows and signaled them to stand down. "You have my word, dearest."_

_Claire continued. "This man is a sailor on the pirate ship the Nadia. Promise me you will return him."_

_Locke smiled. "I swear, it shall be done."_

_Locke then looked towards Cooper and whispered. "The moment we're out of sight, take him back to the island and throw him in the Looking Glass."_

_Cooper grinned. "I swear it shall be done."_

_Charlie glanced at Claire, with a look of feeling betrayed. Tears began to well in Claire's eyes._

_"I lost you once, and it destroyed me. I cannot bear to lose you again. Not when I have a chance to save you."_

_Charlie did not speak to her. And he lost his chance to as Locke swooped the princess onto his horse and rode off._

_"Now then," Count Cooper said politely to Charlie. "We'd best take you back to your ship now, eh?"_

_Charlie knew a liar when he saw one. "We're men of action. Lies do not become us."_

_Cooper looked at one of the crossbowmen and smiled. "A poet. I like this guy already. Ethan, take this guy to my ship and prepare a cell for 'im."_

_Ethan smiled. "Sure thing, Mr. Sawyer."_

_Something clicked into Charlie's brain as he looked at Cooper in shock._

_"Sawyer?"_

_But Ethan knocked Charlie over the back of his head using the butt of his crossbow, and he knew no more._

* * *

**A/N: So it took me a while to update. That's because it took me a while to get a review. I almost thought nobody likes my story.**

**But I got a review, and so, I'm back.**

**So if I get another review, I'll get another chapter up.**


	10. Chapter 10

_Charlie woke up to see a large man with white hair treating his wounds. It was after that he realized he was in some kind of chamber, his chest was bare, and his wrists and ankles were strapped to a table._

"_Who are you?" Charlie asked the man._

"_Tom. But all the victims here call me Mr. Friendly," he said in a thick accent while treating his wounds._

"_Okay, Mr. Friendly, where am I?"_

"_We just call this place the Looking Glass. And just to let you know, don't even dream of getting away. Those straps are as thick as logs. Even if you did managed to break free, we're underwater. And don't even pray that someone will come and save you. No one 'cept the prince, the count, and myself even knows this place exists, let alone where it is or how to get in or out."_

"_So I'm here until I die?"_

"_Nope. Just till they kill you."_

_Charlie's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "If they're gonna kill me, why bother curing me?"_

"_Because…the prince and the count prefer everyone to be healthy before broken."_

_Charlie started to ponder this, and it finally occurred to him._

"_Meaning…torture."_

_Mr. Friendly nodded._

_Charlie smiled. "I can handle torture."_

_Mr. Friendly shook his head._

"_What? You don't believe me?"_

"_Heh," Mr Friendly went back to cleaning him. "You survived the Fiery Jungle. You must be brave."_

_He then gave Charlie a sinister look. "But no one…survives…the machine."_

_He chuckled evilly leaving Charlie to wonder what he was in for._

_

* * *

_

Claire walked down the hallway, grieved with guilt. Not only was Charlie alive, but he risked his life to save hers. How did she repay him? She went with Locke.

_She kept trying to convince herself that if she didn't she'd lose Charlie again._

_Fool, she said. You may have saved his life, but you've betrayed him._

_She sighed hard. Either way, she lost him again._

* * *

"_She's been like this ever since the jungle," Locke said to Cooper as they watched Claire. "It's my father's failing health." (A/N: Yes, I know Cooper is Locke's father but for purposes of the story, let's just say he's not.)_

_

* * *

_

The king died that very night. And before the dawn after that, Claire and Locke were married. And at noon, she met her subjects again, this time as their queen.

* * *

"But, Mommy, Claire can't marry Locke. What about Charlie? That's not fair to him."

Kate sighed as she looked at him. "Trust me when I say 'Life isn't always fair.'"

"Mommy…"

"Do you want me to read this or not?" Kate said sternly, giving Aaron a look that he knew meant business.

"Yes."

"Then don't interrupt me again. Alright then…"

* * *

"_My father's final words were," Prince Locke announced, "'Love her as I loved her, and there will be joy.' I will now introduce you to your queen. Queen…Claire!"_

_Almost like the engagement celebration, The trumpets played a fanfare as the entire crowd held it's breath. Claire exited the archway and descended the stairway, this time she was in a gold and white gown and a crown upon her head, as everyone before her, without even an order, kneeled._

_Except for a middle-aged black woman (Rose, to let those who've seen Lost know) who kept shouting "BOO! BOO! BOO!"_

"_Why do you do this?" Claire asked her incredulously._

"_Because you had love in your hands, and you threw it away!"_

"_But they would've killed Charlie if I hadn't!"_

"_Your true love is still alive! But you marry another! Your true love saves you, and you treat him like garbage. So bow down to her, everyone! Bow to the queen of riddance. The queen of refuse! The queen of waste! Boo! Boo! BOOOOOOOOOOO!!"_

_Claire shot up awake. The king was still alive. The wedding was ten days away. But Claire's nightmares were growing steadily worse. _

* * *

"See?" Aaron spoke. "I knew she wouldn't marry that awful Locke."

"Yes. You know best. Now please be quiet."

* * *

_"My lord," Claire spoke to Locke as she entered his study, "I've come to a decision. I love Charlie. I always have, I always will. So if you tell me I must marry you in ten days, know that I will be dead by morning."_

_At first glance, Locke seemed taken aback by her proposal. But when he gave a deep sigh, Claire knew he was planning something._

_"I want nothing but your happiness, dearest." Then he smiled. "Consider our wedding off then."_

_He then looked towards Cooper. "You returned this Charlie to his ship, right?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Then we'll alert him as soon as we can."_

_Locke looked back at Claire. "Beloved, are you sure he still wants you, especially after you left him in the Fiery Jungle? Not to mention pirates aren't the most honest people in the world."_

_"Charlie will always come for me," Claire spoke with confidence._

_Locke started scratching his chin as he planned carefully._

_"I'll tell you what. Have four copies of a letter written by tomorrow. I'll send my four fastest ships, one in each direction and each with a letter. The Dread Pirate Sayid is always close this time of year. The ship that finds him shall run up the white flag and deliver your message. If Charlie wants you, then may you be happy and prosperous."_

_Then he took her hand. "If not, please consider me as an alternative to suicide. Okay?"_

_She considered for a moment, then nodded._

_

* * *

_

"I must say, your princess is quite the prize," Cooper exclaimed to Locke as they went across the beach. "Perhaps a bit plain, but quite the charming one."

_"Indeed. The people are quite smitten by her. I guess I owe Charlie one. When I hired Ben to kill her on our engagement day, I thought that was brilliant. But it will be much more moving once I strangle her on our wedding night. With DHARMA blamed, the island will be so infuriated, they'll demand that we go to war."_

_Cooper chuckled as he dug in the sand. "And you called me a villain. Now where is that hatch? It's impossible to find."_

_He suddenly found a metal hatch. "Ah hah! So, John, are you coming? Charlie's got his strength back and I'm about to start the machine on him."_

_Locke smiled. "As much as I enjoy watching you work. But I have my country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my bride to murder, and DHARMA to frame for it. I'm just booked."_

_"Go home and get some rest," Cooper said as he patted Locke on the shoulder. "If you don't have your health, you have nothing."_


	11. Chapter 11

_The table Charlie was strapped to was brought to an enormous machine with all sorts of wheels built into it. Cooper emerged from the desk he was sitting in as Mr. Friendly pushed Charlie next to the machine and placed suction cups on his chest, waist, and ears.  
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Cooper asked. "Took me half-a-lifetime and over fifty cons to build it."_

_It was then Charlie remembered that this man was a con artist as he continued walking over to a dial that ranged from "0" to "50"._

"_You can see my deep and abiding interest in pain. I am currently writing the authoritative work on the subject, so I want you to tell me honestly how the machine makes you feel. Now, since this is our first try, I'll set it on the lowest."_

_He then moved the dial from 0 to 1. All at once, water came in through a chute above, turning the wheels, and Charlie felt something being pulled out of him. It hurt so bad he struggled hard to break free while groaning loudly._

_Feeling satisfied, Cooper moved the dial back to 0. The machine stopped and Charlie collapsed on the table, breathing hard from all that pain he went through._

"_The concept of the suction pump is centuries old," Cooper explained. "This is all this is actually, but instead of sucking water, I'm sucking life. I just sucked one year of your life away. Now, I might go as high as five, but I don't know what that would do to you, so let's just settle with what we have. What did this do to you? And don't forget, this is going to be public, so be honest-how do you feel?_

_All Charlie could do was sob and whimper. Cooper smiled as he took notes._

_

* * *

_

Locke pulled Ethan over to speak with him.

"_I've reports about killers from DHARMA hiding in the Thieves' Forest planning to murder my bride on our wedding night."_

"_Any word from Charlie yet?" Claire's voice suddenly came. Both Locke and Ethan looked in her direction._

_Locke smiled. "Too early, angel. Patience."_

_Claire looked stern. "He WILL come."_

"_Of course he will."_

_Claire turned on her heel and walked off. Once she was out of earshot, Locke continued with Ethan._

"_She will NOT be murdered. On our wedding night, I want the Thieves' Forest emptied and every man arrested."_

"_Many of the thieves will resist," Ethan replied. "My regular enforcers will not be sufficient."_

"_Then form a brute squad! I want the forest emptied before I wed." _

_Ethan sighed. "It won't be easy."_

_Locke grinned. "Neither is ruling the world."_

_

* * *

_

The day of the wedding arrived, and the brute squad had their hands full carrying out Locke's orders. As a wagon dragged the prisoners away, Ethan turned to a brute named Goodwin.

"_Is that all of them?"_

"_Almost. There's a Southerner giving us some trouble."_

_Ethan glared. "Then give HIM some trouble."_

_Goodwin nodded and went off._

* * *

"_BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!" Sawyer shouted at the top of his lungs as he sat in front of his cabin, hold a jug of beer. "Where are you?! You told me to go back to the beginning! Well here I am! I aint movin' until you get here!"_

_Goodwin came from behind the cabin and held an axe. "Ho there!"_

_Sawyer just glared at him. "I aint budgin, so keep your 'ho's to yourself."_

"_But the prince gave orders!"_

_Sawyer glared at him threateningly as he held his sword up. "Well so did Ben! When a job goes wrong you go back to the beginning. Well this is where I got the job, so this is the beginning. So I aint goin' nowhere until Ben gets here."_

_Goodwin started to get annoyed as he looked past Sawyer. "You, brute! Over here!"_

"_I'M WAITIN FOR BEN!" Sawyer shouted as a large black hand grabbed him._

"_A battle you can't win," a deep voice came._

_Sawyer blinked. Not only was the voice familiar, but the way it rhymed with what he just said. He looked up and laughed happily to see Eko smiling back at him and knocking Goodwin out with his staff._

_He looked back at Sawyer and grimaced. "You do not look so good." He then sniffed him. "Nor do you smell so good."_

"_Maybe not," Sawyer muttered drunk. "I'm fine."_

_Eko smiled at his friend as he let go. Sawyer then fell face-first to the ground._

_

* * *

_

Eko and Sawyer were reunited. As Eko nursed his intoxicated friend back to health, he told Sawyer of Ben's death and the existence of Count Cooper, the con man who also went by the name of Sawyer. Considering Sawyer's lifelong search, he handled the news surprisingly well.

_By dunking his head in icy water, then steaming water, Eko took great care in reviving Sawyer._

"_Alright! Alright! That's ENOUGH!" Sawyer shouted as he pulled away. "Now tell me where I can find this Count Cooper, and I'll kill him."_

"_With the prince in the castle. But thirty men guard the gate."_

"_Damn it!" Sawyer cursed as he kicked a nearby stool. "How many can you handle?"_

"_No more than ten."_

"_Leaving me twenty. No way in hell I can handle that many. Damn.! I can scheme a con but I can't strategize an infiltration. We need Ben!"_

"_Ben is dead," Eko reminded him._

_Sawyer cursed himself as he shook his head in disappointment. But then his eyes blinked as he suddenly saw his last hope._

"_Not Ben. Then man in black."_

_Eko looked confused. "What?"_

"_Work with me here. He beat you at strength, your area of expertise. And he beat me at mine, fencing. And he seems a fair player so he must've outwitted Ben. And a man who can do that can plan an assault on the castle any day." _

_And with that, he headed for the door. "C'mon!"_

"_Where are we going?" Eko asked._

"_To find the man in black obviously."_

"_But we don't know where he is."_

_Sawyer looked back at him. "Don't bother me with trifles. After twenty years, my parents' souls will be at peace."_

_He was then seething. "There will be blood TONIGHT!"_

* * *

**A/N: Just keep reviewing for more.**

**Imzadi, I don't know how to put Richard Alpert in the story. The only characters from Princess Bride we haven't seen thus far are Miracle Max, Valerie, and the Clergyman, and I've already decided who they will be**


	12. Chapter 12

_Locke was sharpening a knife he would wear for the wedding when Ethan walked in._

_"Rise and report."_

_"The Thieves' Forest is emptied. And I have thirty men guarding the gate."_

_Locke looked stern. "Double it. I want my princess nothing but safe."_

_Ethan smirked. "Don't worry, your highness. The gate has only one key. And only I have that."_

_Locke smiled in satisfaction as he saw Claire come in._

_"My dulcet darling!" he cried excitedly as he sat up and took her hands. "Tonight we marry."_

_He then looked at Ethan. "Tomorrow morning, your men will escort us to the channel, where every ship in my armada waits to accompany us on our honeymoon."_

_Claire's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Don't you mean all but your four fastest?"_

_Locke was suddenly confused. "Sorry?"_

_"The ones you sent!" she demanded._

_Suddenly the memory flickered back in Locke's head as he spoke nervously. "Oh yes. Of course. Certainly not those four."_

_He made a motion to Ethan to leave and he did without hesitation._

_"You didn't sent the ships," Claire accused him. "Don't bother lying. No matter. Charlie will come for me."_

_Locke frowned as he returned to sharpening his knife. "You're a silly girl."_

_Claire smiled. "You're right. I am a silly girl. If I wasn't, I would've known from the beginning that you were a coward."_

_Locke stopped sharpening his knife as he looked at her in pure disgust. "I…would not…say…such things…if…I…were…you."_

_"Why not. You can't hurt me. Charlie and I are joined by the bonds of love. And you cannot track it, even with a thousand bloodhounds. And you cannot break it, even with a thousand swords. And when I say you're a coward…I mean that you're the SLIMIEST WEAKLING TO EVER CRAWL THE EARTH!"_

_"SILENCE!" Locke yelled as he slammed the blade into his desk. That was the last straw!_

_"I would not say such things if I were YOU!" he yelled as he dragged her to her room and locked the door._

_Since the Fiery Jungle, Charlie became an annoyance. It was time to get rid of that annoyance once and for all._

_

* * *

_

After entering the Looking Glass, Locke stormed over to the machine and stood over Charlie, ignoring the stares received from Cooper and Mr. Friendly.

_"You truly loved other," he seethed at Charlie. "And you would've been truly happy. No matter what happens in fairy tales, no couple in a century would have that chance. So I doubt any man in a century will suffer as you will."_

_And Locke rushed to the dial and turned it._

_"NOT TO FIFTY!" Cooper shouted._

_The wheels of the machine spun wildly as Charlie screamed at the top of his lungs._

_

* * *

_

The scream was heard all over the island. Sawyer and Eko stopped to listen.

_"What is that?" Eko asked._

_Sawyer thought hard before answering. "Ultimate suffering. My heart made that sound when my parents were killed. Now the man in black makes it."_

_"The man in black? Are you sure?"_

_"His true love is getting married to someone else tonight. Who else has a reason for such ultimate suffering? Let's go!"_

_And they took off, following the scream._

_

* * *

_

At the beach, Mr. Friendly was pushing a wheelbarrow towards the hatch that led to the Looking Glass. He stopped as the blade of a sword was pointed at his chest. He looked up to see Sawyer pointing his sword at him and Eko standing next to him.

_"Where's the man in black?" Sawyer asked._

_Mr. Friendly remained silent._

_"Jog his memory," Sawyer instructed._

_Eko swatted his staff over Mr. Friendly's head, knocking him out._

_"I must have hit him too hard."_

_He looked towards where Sawyer was standing, only to find him a few feet further, on a bent knee, his eyes closed and the handle of his sword pressed to his forehead._

_"I have failed you for twenty years," he whispered. "But now our misery can end. Somewhere…somewhere close by…is someone who can help us. I cannot find him alone. Help me. Guide my sword."_

_He stood up, eyes remaining closed, and the sword swayed from side to side as he walked, as though the sword was leading him somewhere. After a moment, he finally stopped he looked around and saw nothing. He cursed as he attempted to kick the sand, only to kick something metal. After recovering from the surprise and the pain, both he and Eko moved the sand away to reveal a hidden hatch. Once they opened it, they went down and entered the Looking Glass. After a brief search, they finally found Charlie lying on the table, straps and suction cups removed, and not moving or breathing. They went over him and Eko placed an ear over Charlie's chest. He looked at Sawyer, sadly._

_"He's dead."_

* * *

**A/N: Well this is an interesting twist.**

**Now we'll see who got the part of Miracle Max!**


	13. Chapter 13

Aaron looked up at Kate with confusion.

"Why did Eko say Charlie's dead? He can't be dead. He was just faking it, wasn't he?"

Kate was starting to get agitated with Aaron's interruptions.

"Are you writing this?"

"But who's going to kill Locke?"

"Huh?" Kate asked in confusion.

"Who kills Prince Locke? At the end. Someone has to do it? Does Sawyer do it?"

"No. No one kills him. He lives."

"You mean he wins?" Aaron asks incredulously. "Mom! Why are you writing this?"

Kate sighed as she closed her laptop. "You know what? It's past ten and you're taking this story way too seriously. I think it's time to stop."

Before she took him off her lap, he shook his head.

"No. I'm okay. Please keep reading."

Kate sighed as she went back to her story.

_

* * *

_

Sawyer became so irritated and enraged, he started throwing and smashing everything he got his hands on. His last chance at getting revenge was taken away from him.

_He stopped raging and started breathing as he saw Eko pick up Charlie's limp body._

"_What're you doing? He's no good to us now."_

_Eko looked back at Sawyer. "How much money do you have?"_

"_I don't know. A little bit?"_

_Eko considered before replying. "Well, I hope it is enough to buy us a miracle."_

_

* * *

_

After a short trek through the forest, they came across a small shack. Sawyer banged on the door.

"_GO AWAY!"_

_Sawyer frowned as he started pounding harder. The door opened slightly to reveal a man about Sawyer's age with short, dark hair._

"_What?!"_

"_You're Miracle Jack?" Sawyer asked. "The doctor who worked for the king for years?"_

_Jack grimaced. "The king's brat fired me. And thank you for reminding me. Now why don't you just give me a nice clean paper cut and dump a cup a salt on it? WE'RE CLOSED!"_

_And he slammed the door. Sawyer groaned before he banged on it again. Jack opened it again with a deep frown on his face._

"_Get out, or I'll call the brute squad!"_

"_I am on the brute squad," Eko told him._

"_You are the brute squad?" Jack asked._

"_Look," Sawyer spoke up, "we need a miracle, stats."_

"_Listen," Jack sighed, "I'm retired. Besides, why would you want someone the king's brat fired. I might kill whoever you want the miracle done on."_

"_Problem there, doc. He's already dead."_

"_Is he? Alright, bring him in. I'll see what I can do."_

_And with that, Jack let them in and set Charlie's body on the table. Jack examined him a bit then held the limp man's arm and let it go. It hit the table like a rock._

_Jack bit his lower lip. "I've had worse." He did nothing but study him here and there._

"_Hey, doc. We're in a rush and we need this guy."_

"_Hey. Don't rush a miracle man, buddy. You get bad miracles. So, how much money do you have?"_

"_About…sixty-five."_

"_Pfft. I never worked for so little. Well I did once. But it was a noble cause."_

"_Aw, c'mon, doc. This guy's got a crippled wife and five starving babies."_

_Jack just gave a crooked smile. "Are you a horrible liar."_

_Infuriated, Sawyer grabbed Jack's collar and pulled him closer. "I need his help to avenge my parents!"_

"_Your first story was better," Jack said as he pushed him off and started looking for something. "Where's that bellows? What? Does he owe you money? Ah! There it is!"_

_And he brought a huge bellows over. "I'll just ask him."_

"_Problem there, doc. He's dead," Sawyer reminded him._

"_Well guess what, smart-guy. You're friend is only mostly dead. There's a different between mostly dead and all dead. Open his mouth, please."_

_Eko obliged and Jack put the bellows into Charlie's mouth and started pumping._

"_Mostly dead: he's alive but just barely. All dead: well if he's all dead, there's only one thing you can do."_

"_What's that?" Sawyer asked._

"_See if your name is on his will."_

_And he placed the bellows away and bent towards Charlie's ear._

"_Hey! Hello? What's important to you? What do you have that's worth living for?"_

_Then he placed his hands on Charlie's chest and pressed. All at once, Charlie started breathing unconsciously, "truuuuuuuuuuuuuuue looooooooooooooooooooove…"_

_They all gazed in astonishment at him. Sawyer then tried to register what came out of his mouth._

"'_True love'. Hear that? True love! Can't get a nobler cause than that!"_

_Jack just shook his head. "As great as true love is…He didn't say that. He said…'Toooooo bluuuuuuuuff.' He said 'to bluff'. So…you know…he must've cheated at cards…"_

"_LIAR!" Came a female voice as a blonde woman came out. "LIAR!"_

"_GET OUT, WITCH!" Jack shouted at her._

"_I'm not a witch, I'm your wife. But after what you just said, I'm not sure I want to be anymore."_

"_My dream come true," Jack said smugly._

"_True love. He said 'True love', Jack!"_

"_Don't say another word, Juliet!"_

_Juliet looked at Sawyer and Eko. "He's afraid. Ever since Locke fired him, his he's lost his confidence…"_

"_WHY DID YOU SAY THAT NAME?!" Jack said. "YOU SAID YOU'VE NEVER SAY THAT NAME AGAIN!"_

"_What? Locke?"_

"_AH!" Jack shouted as he covered his ears while Juliet kept shouting "Locke! Locke! Locke! Locke! Locke!"_

"_I'm not listening!" Jack said in a sing-song tone._

"_You're wasting yourself away, Jack. And you don't have the decency to explain why you won't help…"_

"_Nobody gives a damn!"_

_Sawyer finally got tired of the bickering couple so he decided to butt in._

"_This is Claire's true love! If you save him, he'll stop Locke's wedding!"_

"_SHUT UP!" Jack shouted at Juliet. Then he looked back at Sawyer excitedly. "You mean if I heal him, Locke suffers?"_

_Sawyer smirked. "Humiliations in abundance, doc."_

_Jack clapped his hands and rubbed them together in joy. "Now THAT is a noble cause. Alright, I'll take the sixty-five."_

_After getting paid, Jack went to his desk and started covering a some kind of bulb with chocolate. Sawyer and Eko just stared as they worked._

"_That's a miracle pill?" Sawyer asked. _

_Jack nodded as Juliet explained. "Chocolate coating makes it go down easier. But you have to wait fifteen minutes for full effectiveness. And he can't go swimming for…um…"_

"_An hour," Jack completed as he placed the pill in a small bag and handed it to Sawyer._

"_Thanks a lot, doc," Sawyer complimented as Eko picked up Charlie's body and they walked out and left._

"_Bye boys!" Juliet called out._

"_Have fun storming the castle!" Jack called out._

"_Think it'll work?" Juliet whispered to him._

"_It'll take a miracle," Jack replied with a wink._

* * *

**After several inner debates for the part of the clergyman, I finally picked him out.**

**Wanna know who? Read and Review**


	14. Chapter 14

_A while later, Eko and Sawyer carried Charlie on top of the castle's out wall. As they stopped to rest, Eko looked over the wall and to his astonishment…_

"_There is more than thirty," he whispered to Sawyer._

"_What's the difference? We've got him now," Sawyer pointed out as he held Charlie's head, which dropped limp as he let go. He sighed in exasperation. "Help me out."_

_Eko helped Sawyer place Charlie's limp body against the wall. Sawyer took out the miracle pill._

"_We'll have to force-feed 'im."_

"_But has it been fifteen minutes?" Eko asked in concern._

"_The wedding's in an half an hour. We need to plan now."_

_Eko tilted Charlie's head back and held his mouth opened. Sawyer stuffed it down his throat. Then they pulled back._

_Eko kept his eyes on Charlie. "How long do we have to wait before we know if the miracle works?"_

"_You're guess is as good as mine, Hercules."_

_Suddenly, Charlie's eyes snapped open and he started shouting, "I TOOK YOU BOTH SEPERATELY, I'LL TAKE YOU BOTH TOGETH…!"_

_Sawyer quickly covered his mouth. "Not so long as I thought."_

_Sawyer slowly removed his hand. Charlie just glared at him._

"_Why can't I move my bloody arms?"_

_Sure enough, all he could move was his eyes and his mouth, as if he were a talking doll._

"_Easy, my friend," Eko said as he placed a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "You have been mostly dead all day."_

_Charlie looked confused as Sawyer spoke. "We took you to Miracle Jack and he made a pill to bring you back."_

_Charlie just glared at him. "Who the bloody hell are you? Are we enemies? Why am I on this bloody wall? WHERE'S CLAIRE?!"_

_Sawyer held up a hand to silence him. "Look I can explain. Ahh…" He kept his mouth opened as he considered what to say then waved his hand as he continued. "To make a long story short, Claire is marrying Locke in less than a half an hour, so we need to break in, stop the wedding, I kill Count Cooper, we steal the princess away, and make our escape."_

"_Half an hour to do all that, eh?" Charlie asked. "Well then we don't have time for dawdling."_

_Eko glanced at his hand and smiled. "Your finger. It twitched. You are recovering."_

"_I've always been a quick healer," Charlie said with pride. "So what's the situation?"_

"_Only one castle gate," Sawyer explained. "And it's guarded by…" he took a quick peek over the way, "…sixty men."_

"_Okay," Charlie said. "And what resources do we have?"_

_Sawyer smirked. "Your brains, his strength, my skill."_

_Charlie just frowned. "That's all?"_

_Sawyer nodded. "Yep. So?"_

"_Well. If I had a month to plan, I think I could come up with something. But this…?"_

_He just moved his head from side to side._

"_At least you are well enough to shake your head." Eko stated._

"_Heh. Your strength, his skill, and my brains against sixty men and you think I should be happy that I can move my bloody head around? Well maybe if we had a wheelbarrow, I'd be okay."_

_Sawyer snapped his fingers as he remembered something. "That big guy at the beach. He had a wheelbarrow, didn't he? We couldn't've left 'im there that long. Might still be there."_

_Charlie sighted. "Why wasn't THAT in our resources then?"  
Sawyer. "Sorry."_

_Charlie thought again. "Now all I need is a black holocaust cloak."_

_Sawyer shook his head. "Sorry. Can't help ya there."_

_Eko then pulled a long black coat out of his shirt. "How is this?"_

_Sawyer looked at him incredulously. "Where the hell'd you get that?"_

"_Well it fit me perfectly, so Jack said I could keep it."_

"_Alright, alright. Let's go. Help me up."_

_They lifted him off the wall and carried him across the wall._

"_I'll need a sword, eventually," said Charlie._

"_Why?" Sawyer asked. "You can't even lift one."_

"_Well that's hardly common knowledge. Now, getting inside's only the easy part. After that, it won't be smooth sailing."_

"_No kiddin'. When we get inside, how do I find the Count? And when I kill the Count, how do I find you? And when I find you again, how do we escape?"_

"_Do not pester him," Eko spoke. "He has had a hard day."_

"_Oh. Right. Sorry?"_

_Since Charlie couldn't nod, Eko pulled his head back and forth, indicating a nod._

* * *

"_You don't seem excited, my butterfly," Locke said as he helped her with her necklace._

"_Should I be?" Claire asked._

"_Brides usually are on a wedding. Or so I'm told."_

_Claire only gave a 'Hmmph' before saying, "I won't marry you. Charlie will save me."_

_And with that, she walked off. Locke only grinned in triumph._

_As the organs played, the two of them headed down to the chapel, where all of the guest, including the king and queen and Count Cooper awaited them. Once they reached the end of the aisle, they kneeled before a huge priest with curly long hair._

"_Dude, I can't believe I'm doing this," Father Hurley muttered before starting the ceremony._

* * *

**_So what'd you think?_**

**_Read and Review_**


	15. Chapter 15

_Father Hurley cleared his throat as he opened his book. He took a deep breath then spoke loud enough for all within the chapel to hear._

"_Marriage. Marriage's what brings us together today. Marriage, that blessed arrangement; that dream…within a dream."_

_He was interrupted by Ethan shouting outside: "STAND YOUR GROUND, MEN! STAND YOUR GROUND!"_

_

* * *

_

Outside, the guards stared horrified at a large, menacing, hooded figure moving towards them.

_A booming voice came from underneath the hood, "I am the Dread Pirate Sayid!"_

_His name terrified them further as he continued._

"_There will be NO survivor!"_

_Had they been smart, they would've noticed it was Eko shrouded in a black cloak standing in a wheel barrow, which was being pushed by Sawyer, who was struggling with pushing the heavy wheel barrow and carrying the still-limp Charlie on his back._

"_Now?" Sawyer groaned silently._

"_Not yet," Charlie whispered._

"_My men are here!" Eko continued threateningly. "I am here! But soon, YOU will not be HERE!"_

"_Now?" Sawyer groaned with a strain in his voice._

"_Alright. Light him."_

_Sawyer took a lit candle and held it to the cloak, which caught the flame and suddenly the hooded figure was engulfed by the flames. The guards were now completely intimidated at the now flaming large figure moving closer to them._

_Eko didn't seem phased by the heat, as he threatened louder. "THE DREAD PIRATE SAYID TAKES NO SURVIVORS! ALL YOUR WORST NIGHTMARES ARE ABOUT TO COME TRUE!"_

_

* * *

_

Hurley continued the ceremony, although he seemed to be muttering.

"_Then love…true love…will follow you…forever…"_

_The commotion outside was still going on and Locke was starting to become worried. As Hurley continued, he motioned Cooper to take the guards inside and see to it._

* * *

"_THE DREAD PIRATE SAYID IS HERE FOR YOUR **SOULS**!"_

_That was it! The men started scattering, abandoning their posts, ignoring Ethan's order to stay and fight. Now all that was left was the captain, cowering in fear at the sight of the large figure advancing toward him._

* * *

"_So treasure your love…"_

"_Skip to the end!" Locke ordered._

"_Dude, this is sacred. I can't just…"_

"_SKIP TO THE END!" Locke repeated, through grit teeth._

_Hurley sighed as flipped the pages to the ending of the ceremony._

"_Do you have the ring?"_

_Claire smirked at Locke as he took out the wedding ring. "Charlie's coming now."_

_Locke grinned evilly as he put the ring on her finger. "Charlie is dead. I killed him myself."_

_Claire's heart almost skipped a beat as he spoke. But her eyes narrowed as she searched his._

"_Then why are you frightened?"_

_Locke just sneered as he looked back at Hurley._

_

* * *

_

Eko whipped off the cloak as Sawyer carried Charlie, who was carrying Eko's staff, towards the gate.

"_Eko! The portcullis!" Charlie shouted._

_Sure enough, the portcullis was falling towards the ground, in an attempt to block their way into the castle. But Eko managed to grab it in time, and with his strength pushed it back up, allowing Sawyer to drag Charlie in and Eko to follow._

_Sawyer used his free hand to point the tip of his sword to the alarmed Ethan._

"_Give us the gate key!"_

"_I-I have no gate key," Ethan stammered._

_Sawyer looked at Eko. "Rip his arms out."_

"_Oh this gate key!" Ethan replied cheerfully as he held the key for Eko to take it and unlock the gate, allowing Sawyer to carry Charlie inside._

"_Wait!" Charlie spoke._

_Using what strength he had, Charlie managed to swing the arm holding Eko's staff at Ethan, knocking him out._

_Sawyer and Eko looked at Charlie with astonishment._

_Charlie grinned. "I owed him that."_

* * *

"_And do you, Princess Claire…"_

"_Man and wife! Say 'Man and wife'!" Locke shouted._

"_Okay. Fine. Man and wife."_

_Locke stood up and gave Claire's hand to the king._

"_Escort the bride to the honeymoon suite. I'll be there shortly."_

_The king nodded, excited that his son was finally married, as he led Claire away._

"_He didn't come…" she breathed._

_Why didn't he come? Was Locke telling the truth this time? No, her heart was telling her. Charlie was still alive. Maybe he really did feel betrayed by her and gave up on her._

_Whatever the reason, it didn't matter anymore. Now she was married. To someone she didn't love._

_Tired of how cruel fate was to her, she decided that once she reached the honeymoon suite, she'd kill herself._

"_Dumbest wedding ever," Father Hurely mumbled. "I oughta go with funerals."_

* * *

**Review and tell me what you think, and I'll get the next chap up as soon as I can.**


	16. Chapter 16

**(AN: For this chapter and the next, I'm going to refer to Sawyer as James Ford, that way everyone won't get confused.)**

_James Ford led Eko, who was giving Charlie a piggy-back ride (A/N: Seemed a lot better than when Fezzik only dragged Wesley) down the hall. Charlie took Ethan's sword but since he didn't have the strength to raise it, he kept it sheathed. When they got to the next corridor, he held his hand, signaling Eko to stop, and peer around the corner. Convinced that the coast was clear, he signaled his large friend to keep moving._

_Suddenly, Cooper and his men came in from the door before them. He was agitated that there were intruders, but surprised and infuriated that Charlie was alive and among them._

_"Kill the one clad in black and the large man. But leave the third for questioning."_

_The guards tried to rush past James, but his sword was too fast for them. One by one, he slew each one until only the count remained._

_James Ford held his sword up and pointed it at the foe he hunted for years._

_"Sawyer, I'm James Ford."_

_Cooper's face shriveled into a look of confusion, as though he tried to figure out if that name meant something. But when his face showed shock, it was obvious he figured it out._

_James continued. "You killed my parents. Prepare to die."_

_Both men stood in a fighting stance, but Cooper turned his heel and dashed off. James shot off after him, leaving Eko and Charlie behind._

_Seeing that James was after him, Cooper quickly went for the nearest door and locked it just as James reached it and tried to bash it open._

_"EKO! HELP ME!"_

_Eko looked at his limp friend before calling out to James._

_"I cannot leave him!"_

_"EKO! HE'S GETTING AWAY! **PLEASE!!**"_

_Eko sighed as he set Charlie next to a suit of armor._

_"Wait here," he said to him before going off to help James, who was kicking at the door until Eko showed up and smashed it open._

_"Thank you," James said as he rushed inside._

_Eko smiled and prayed for his success as he returned to where he left Charlie, only to find him gone._

_

* * *

_

Judging by the sound of rushing footsteps behind him, Cooper realized that James had gotten inside and was still after him. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, which led to the kitchen, he pulled out a knife from within his boot and waited for his pursuer.

_The moment James made it to the bottom of the stairs, a knife was suddenly plunged into his stomach. James staggered back, then fell on his knees and right hand, his left clutched the knife handle._

_"Son of a bitch!" he cursed as he breathed hard._

_He looked up to see his parents' murderer smiling and chuckling._

_"Ford? That's what you said your name was? Ah yes! Mary Ford. Jasper, Alabama. I remember her. She practically begged me to take her thirty-eight thousand dollars and to rescue her from her sorry little life."_

_James was burning with rage._

_"Incredible. You mean to tell me that you took my name because you were on some kind of revenge kick? And you've chased me down all these years just to fail? That's gotta be the saddest thing I've ever heard."_

_All he did was chuckle as James Ford crumpled to the floor._

_

* * *

_

So many sad and happy memories flooded Claire's mind as she entered the honeymoon suite. Most of which were of her and Charlie when they lived on the farm. If she had know how she would feel about him later, she might've treated him better.

_Now she would never hear him say "As you wish" again. She would never embrace him or kiss him. All because Locke wouldn't hear that she did not love him._

_That wouldn't matter anymore. Whether Locke did kill him or meant to but failed, she now belonged to him. And there was only one escape._

_She sat before the desk and opened a drawer to revel a knife. A knife that would end her life. Tears filled her eyes as she took it out, and pointed the blade at her chest. She took a deep breath. She was ready to run it through._

_"You know," a familiar voice came, "breasts as good as yours are bloody hard to come by."_

_Startled, she looked to where the voice came from. Sure enough, lying on the bed was…_

_"Charlie? CHARLIE!"_

_Filled with tears of both guilt and happiness, Claire rushed over to him and kissed him several times, as though if she didn't stop he'd leave her again._

_But something was wrong. He didn't hold her or kissed her back._

_"Charlie, please hold me," she begged as she kept kissing her._

_"Gently," he muttered._

_"After all this, all you can say is gently?"_

_She pulled his head up to kiss him real hard, but he couldn't kiss back._

_"GENTLY!"_

_His head suddenly slipped out of her hands and landed hard against the headboard._

_"Ow!"_


	17. Chapter 17

_Cooper was convinced that the heap lying before him was dead. With a small grin, he was about to head off when he heard a someone growling._

_Eyes wide, he looked back as James pushed himself up and pulled the knife out of his stomach. Then he raised his head up and showed Cooper angry eyes as he tried to stand up._

"_Now, now, son. Didn't your mommy tell you that vengeance is never the answer? Or did your daddy kill her before that happened?"_

_He realized his mistake as James's anger gave him the strength to get up on his feet. Terrified of the man before him, Cooper pulled out his sword and prepared to defend himself._

"_Sawyer. I'm James Ford. You killed my parents. Prepare to die."_

_His legs suddenly gave in and he had to catch a nearby table as he fell. Cooper took this opportunity to pierce his heart, but James swung his sword and blocked the attack. He stood up and continued advancing toward him._

"_Sawyer. I'm James Ford. You killed my parents. Prepare to die."_

_Feeling more and more nervous as he said that, Cooper slashed at him but James blocked every parry. He was growing stronger, knowing that his revenge was so near._

"_SAWYER! I'm James Ford! You killed my parents! Prepare to die!" _

"_Stop saying that!" Cooper yelled angrily and fearfully._

_They kept fighting as James was pushing Cooper towards the nearest wall._

"_SAWYER! I'M JAMES FORD! YOU KILLED MY PARENTS! PREPARE TO DIE!"_

_And with that, he slashed his sword and Cooper's knocking it out of his hand. He held the blade at his throat as Cooper's back was against the wall._

"_Now," James sneered. "If I ask for money?"_

"_Every penny I've got…is yours," Cooper pleaded as carefully placed his hands behind his back, pulling out a dagger hidden under a sleeve._

"_How 'bout power?" James asked._

"_All that I have and more. You want it you've got it."_

"_Will you gimme anything I ask?"_

"_Anything you want!"_

"_Anything?"_

"_ANYTHING!"_

_He pulled out the dagger and lunged at James, but his blade was already plunged into Cooper's chest._

_James snarled. "Then give me back my parents! You miserable BASTARD!"_

_He pulled the sword from his parents' killer and Count Anthony Cooper fell dead to the ground._

* * *

"_Please forgive me," Claire begged Charlie_

"_Why? You sinned? I think you're supposed to confess to a priest."_

_Claire giggled weakly. "No. I got married. I didn't want to, it just happened so fast."_

_Charlie smiled. "No it didn't."_

"_What?"_

"_You didn't get married."_

"_Yes I did! His said 'man and wife'."_

"_What about you? Did you say 'I do'?"_

_Claire frowned. "No…we sot of skipped that part."_

"_Well if you didn't say it, you didn't do it, then you're not married."_

_Charlie smiled and she smiled back in relief. Charlie's eyes then darted to the door._

"_Wouldn't you agree, your highness?"_

_Claire looked behind her to see Prince Locke standing at the doorway, both astonished and angry._

"_A technicality, but I plan to legalize it. But first thing's first."_

_He pulled out his sword and headed to Charlie._

"_To the death!"_

"_NO!"_

_Charlie's words stopped Locke in his place as his eyes glared fiercely at him._

"_To the pain, Locke."_

_Locke looked at him in confusion. "Sorry, but I don't think I've heard that one before."_

"_Then I'll explain. And I'll use small terms so your tiny brain will be sure to understand, you ape."_

_Locke's face twisted into rage. "That would be the first time a man dared to insult me eye to eye."_

"_Well it won't be the last. When I say 'to the pain', I say that first…you will lose your feet below the ankles, and then your hands at your wrists, and your nose next…"_

_Locke scoffed. "Then I guess I lose my tongue…or maybe one of my kidneys. I killed you too quickly and I don't plan to do it again."_

"_Oh, I'm not done yet. Next you will lose your left eye and then your right."_

_Locke was suddenly bored and impatient. "And then my ears! I understand! Now let's get on with it!"_

"_NO! You keep your ears and I'll tell you why. That way, you'll be able to cherish every shriek of every child that sees how ugly you are. Every baby that cries at the sight of you, every woman that screams 'Dear God! What is that thing?' will echo in your beautiful ears until you die. THAT is what I mean when I say 'to the pain'. I leave you in agony, wallowing in freakish misery."_

_Locke considered what Charlie said to him, then his face broke into a mocking smile._

"_You're bluffing."  
"Maybe I am. I suppose I am bluffing, you pig. It's conceivable, you bloody scum, seeing as how I'm lying because I don't have the strength to stand. Or do I?"_

_And suddenly, Charlie slowly rose out of the bed and was now standing straight on his feet. Locke gaped in horror as Charlie held his sword up, pointing the blade at the prince._

"_Drop…your…sword."_


	18. Chapter 18

_"Drop…your…sword."_

_Locke didn't want to argue, so he let his sword go and it hit the ground with a loud CLUNK!_

"_Sit," Charlie pointed at the chair nearby and Locke didn't object to that either._

"_Now tie him up," Charlie instructed Claire, who grabbed a rope from the curtains and tied Locke up. "And make it as tight as you like."_

_With that, she pulled it hard against his stomach, letting a loud "OOOF!" out of Locke's mouth._

_Just as she was finished, the sound of footsteps was suddenly heard. Charlie prepared himself for any guards._

_To his relief, it was Sawyer, clutching his stomach, where the knife hit._

"_You!" Claire shouted as she recognized him._

"_Howdy, princess," Sawyer greeted her before looking at Charlie. "Where's Eko?"_

"_I thought he was with you."_

_Sawyer shrugged. "I thought he was with YOU."_

_Looking at the two men, it took a while for Claire to register that Sawyer was on Charlie's side now._

"_Well in that case…" Charlie was about to walk over to him, but his legs gave in and he fell to the floor._

_Sawyer sighed as he looked towards Claire. "Help him."_

"_Why?" Claire asked as she went over to him. "Why does he need helping?"_

"_Because he doesn't have any strength."_

"_I KNEW IT!" Locke shouted. "I knew you were bluffing…"_

_He stayed silent as the tip of Sawyer's sword was pointing at his throat._

"_Shut up, or I'll dispatch you."_

"_No, Sawyer," Charlie instructed as Claire helped him up. "Whatever happens to us, I want him to live a long life, alone with his cowardice."_

_Sawyer nodded in understanding as he sheathed his sword._

"_SAWYER! SAWYER! WHERE ARE YOU?!"_

_The voice was coming from outside. Sawyer, Charlie, and Claire went to the window and saw Eko with four white horses._

"_Ah! There you are. I saw the prince's stable, and saw these white horses. I thought they were beautiful. And since there are four of them and four of us…that is once we find the woman…Ah! There she is!"_

_He smiled at her and she smiled back._

"_So I decided to bring them with me, so I'd have them when we saw each other again."_

_The three of them smiled._

"_That's great, Eko!" Sawyer called out._

"_Good work!" Charlie called out before he helped Claire on top of the window sill._

_She looked at him, with uncertainty in her eyes._

"_I trust him with my life," Charlie reassured her._

_She smiled and leapt off the window sill and into Eko's arms. Charlie then motioned Sawyer to go next. But Sawyer only frowned._

"_You know. It's funny. I've been in the revenge business for so long. Now that it's over, I don't know what to do with the rest of my life."_

_Charlie smiled as an idea struck him. "Ever considered piracy? You'd make an excellent Dread Pirate Sayid."_

_And with that, Charlie leapt into Eko's arms. Sawyer raised his eyebrows as he considered Charlie's offer._

"_Not bad," he muttered before following him._

_Once all four were on the ground, they mounted the horses and rode off. They rode to freedom. And as dawn arose, Charlie and Claire knew they were safe. A wave of love swept over them. And as they reached for each other…_

* * *

Kate closed her laptop.

"What?" Aaron asked. "What happens?"

"It's just kissing," she said to him. "You don't wanna hear that."

"Mommy. I don't mind so much."

Kate looked at him incredulously and smiled. "Alright then."

She lifted her laptop and finished.

_

* * *

_

Since the invention of the kiss, there were five kisses that were rated the most passionate. The most pure. This one left them all behind.

* * *

"The end."

And she closed her laptop. This time she was officially done. And she smiled at the little boy in her lap that smiled back.

"Did you like that?"

Aaron nodded.

"Good. But now I think we should go to bed now."  
"Okay."

"Alright, buddy. C'mon."

With that, she lifted Aaron off her lap and carried him to his room, placed him on his bed, and tucked him in.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you read it again tomorrow?"

Kate smiled. She was suddenly back on that island, delivering Claire's baby, keeping both Aaron and Claire safe from danger, and tears were formed as she thought back to when she heard Charlie died, then later Claire (**A/N: I'm assuming Claire dies later in the series**).

She never thought she'd be a mother, but it was the best feeling she ever had.

She kissed Aaron's forehead and smiled.

"As you wish."

* * *

**The End**


End file.
